Electric elevator.



No. 700,676. Patehted May 20,J902.

J. CHAMBERS.

Eu-zcmc ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Sept. 3, 1901.

WTNEESEE lNvENTuH TNE Norms PETERS 50., mmwu'mc" vusmumu. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH CHAMBERS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PATRICK II. I-IERLEY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 700,676, dated May 20, 1902. Application filed September 3,1901. Serial No. 74,223. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH OHAMBERs,-a citizen of the United States, residing at 425 Second street northeast, Minneapolis, in the county of I-Iennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to properly construct the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My inventionrelates especially to electric elevators, and has-for its object the production of means for overcoming some of the bad effects experienced in operating elevators of this class.

In the application of electrical energy to the running of elevators the electrical switch which serves to turn on or cut off the current is under control of the person upon and operating the car, and as his position thereon is such that he cannot determine the position of the same it often occurs that the switch is left so near to one or the other of the electric contacts that there is danger of the car being unintentionally started, resulting in the destruction of property or of endangering human life. Through the use of my attachment I avoid all danger of the kind by automatically throwing the electric switch midway between the electric contacts, and therefore in a position to be thrown to either, without the bad efiect referred to. Further, with my safety attachment it would be impossible for any person(with or without intent) to misplace the switch or to leave it in any position save midway between its opposite contacts, and hence in a position to be thrown to either contact and the car to be run in either direction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an electric elevator equipped with mysafety attachments; Fig. 2, a detail thereof, being'a front elevation of the reversing-wheel and operating-rope having my safety device thereon; Fig. 3, another detail, being a side elevation of the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the electric motor, and B the cleva. tor-car.

The motor A may be of any preferred type that is adapted to the purposes, reversibility being a necessary quality. Upon its shaft a is a free-running wheel 5, by means of Which its operation is controlledby' the operator of .the car B, as will hereinafter be set forth. vIt is provided with electric contact-plates 0 and c and with the electric switch at, pivotally affixed and vibratory between them in the usual manner of constructing reversible electric motors. A rope or cable 0 is wound once around the wheel I), one end thereof passed vertically through the car B, thence over and around a similar wheel f, journaled in suitable hangers above the car B, thence downward toand united withthe other end thereof,thus forming an endless rope or cable, which constitute the means by which the operator controls the operations of the motor A from his position on the car B. A toothed pinion g is afiixed t0 and revolves with the hub or sleeve of the wheel b,-the teeth of which engage those of a segmental gear h, which segmental gear forms a part (the lower portion) of the electric switch d. Through the use of this'intermediate mechanism (the pinion andsegmental gear) the electricswitch d is thrown to the right or to the left, where it contactswith the electric contact-plates c or 0 through the forward or backward semirotations at the Wheel b. A drum or spool z',-rotated by the motor a, serves to operate the car B, connected thereto by means of the cable is. To this extent the mechanism shown and described is substantially like that at present in use and forms no part ofmy invention, my improvement consist- 9o ing onlyof the safety attachment for the above-described mechanism, consisting ofthe crank-pin Z, the connecting-rod m,'the spring at, and the stop 0, hereinafter described,

The crank-pin Z may be affixed tothe wheel 5 b in any desired position, but preferablyin one of its spokes near its rim, as shown. Its adjustment, however, in connection with the electric switch (1 is an important feature and is as follows: Its normal position being I00 at'the upper dead-point (a position assumedwhen the electric circuit is broken) and the switch (1 midway between the electric contact-plates d and c, it follows that the three parts (the shaft a, the crank-pin Z, and the switch (1) should be in line. The con necting-rod m is revolubly mounted upon the crank-pin Z in the usual manner, its lower end (when used in a Vertical position) extending downward through a gnide-blockp, which guide-block also serves as a foot-rest for a.

spring, hereinafter described. An adjustable collar (1 is aflixed on the connecting-rod m intermediate its length, its purpose being to regulate the tension of the before-mentioned spring.

The spring '11 is preferably coiled around the connecting-rod an, its foot resting upon the upper side of the guide-block p and its upper end impinging the under side of the collar q. The tension of this spring a may be regulated (increased or diminished to meet requirements) by lowering or raisin gthe collar g, which may then be secured in place by means of set-bolts or their equivalents.

The stop 0, which is an essential feature of my invention, consists of a foot portion 0 and a vertical or shaft portion 0 the former being laterally pierced and pivotally affixed in a pillow-block p and the latter occupying a position between the wheel d and the connecting-rod m. The foot portion 0 may be provided with adjusting-screws s, by means of which its vertical oscillations may be regulated, its purpose being to limit the horizontal vibrations of the vertical portion 0 permitting the latter to incline but slightly from the perpendicular,for reasons which will hereinafter be set forth.

The operation of my improved elevator is as follows: The operator being on his car and desiring to start upon his upward trip pulls downward upon that portion of the endless rope c then within the car,thereby imparting a slight rotary movement of the wheel I), revolving it over to the right, as indicated by the double arrow, a half of a revolution, thereby imparting (through the operation of the toothed pinion g and the segmental gear h) a vibratory movement to the switch cZ, throwing its head portion d over to the left, where it contacts with the electric contactplates 0 of the motor A, thereby closing the circuit, turning on the electric current, and

starting the motor A, which in turn rotates the drum orspool Z, winds the cable It, and lifts the car 13. Through the partial rotation of the wheel I) the crank-pin Z is carried around to its lower dead-point, (its lowest position,) where it contacts with the stop 0, which prevents its further progress in that direction It is apparent that the vertical portion 0 of the stop 0 must needs pass its center or incline from the perpendicular to permit the crank-pin Z to reach its lower dead-point, and this inclination is possible through the adjustment of the adj listing-screws r, the latter being adjusted to permit the upper end of its shaft portion 0 to pass one-half its diameter plus one-half the diameter of the crankpin Z beyond the perpendicular either to the right or to the left. It is apparent when the crank-pin Z is at its lower dead-point it is inert and the wheel 17 is locked, the connectingrod m and the spring at then being in a position to act. When the car B has reached the desired position and the operator thereon desires to stop the same, he pulls upward upon that portion of the endless rope 6 then within the car, thereby imparting a slight rotary movement to the wheel I) over to the left, as indicated by the single arrow, thereby throwing the crank-pin Z off its dead-point, when the recoil or reflex action of the spring n (through the medium of the connecting-rod m) will throw the crank-pin Zto its upper dead-point, (its normal position,) and in so doing will also (through the operation of the pinion g and the segmental gear h) impart a vibratory movement to the switch (1, throwing its head portion 61 midway between the electric contact-plates c and 0', thus opening the circuit, turning off the current, and stopping the motor A. Then when the operator wishes to start upon his downward trip he again pulls upward upon that portion of the endless rope e then within the car, thereby imparting a further rotary movement to the wheel I) over to the left, thereby imparting (through the operation of the pinion g and the segmental gear h) a vibratory movement to the electric switch cZ, throwing it over to the right, where it contacts with the electric contact-plates 0', thus again closing the circuit,- turning on the current, and starting the mo tor A, when the drum or spool 2' will be rotated in an opposite direction, the cable Z: un-

wound therefrom, and the car B will be lowered by gravity. Thus it will be seen that my crank-pin Z, connecting-rod m, spring a, and stop 0 operate to return the electric switch d to its normal position midway between the electric contact-plates c and a whenever the current is cut off and the motor is stopped, that the car is therefore at all times in a position to be started in either direction without danger of the current arcing across the contacts, and the purposes of my invention are achieved.

I do not wish to confine myself to the exact mechanical construction herein shown and described, for it is apparent that the same may be materially changed without departing from the spirit and intent of my invention. To illustrate, the connecting-rod m may be placed in a horizontal or in an oblique position, as well as in a vertical, and the spring 71 may act reversely to throw the crankpin Z to its normal position-that is to say, the pin may be carried around through depressing the spring, as well as by its reflex action. In like manner the position and form of the stop 0 may be changed without changing its purpose or its operation.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let- 1 ters Patent, is-

1. In an electric elevator, the combination with the wheel thereof, and the endless rope 5 operating the same, of a crank-pin affixed in the said wheel, a connecting-rod mounted thereon, a spring actuating the said connecting-rod, and a stop for limiting the travel of the said pin, arranged substantially as shown no and for the purposes specified.

2. In an electric elevator, the combination with the wheel thereof, and an electric switch actuated thereby, of a crank-pin afiixed in the said wheel, a connecting-rod journaled thereon, a spring actuating the said connectingrod, and a stop to limit the travel of the said crank-pin; substantially as shown and for the purposes specified.

JOSEPH CHAMBERS. Witnesses:

E. K. POWERS, E. E. KELLY. 

